“I Once Was Blind”

Abercrombie & Fitch

I was encouraged by my store manager to give a more extensive explanation of my decision to discontinue employment with Abercrombie & Fitch in a letter to the human resources department. I am leaving because my position on sexual promiscuity differs strongly with that of the company.
I was somewhat naïve in working for Abercrombie & Fitch to begin with, but not ignorant. I knew about the posters, but I did not really understand them at the time. It is nearly impossible to look at the posters and logically arrive at the conclusion, “I want to buy Abercrombie & Fitch clothing.” As I learned more about the company, the posters made more sense. As the posters are “easy on the eyes,” so to speak- although I don’t understand the choice of the girl who looks like she is anorexic and 15- they fit in with the whole “five senses” concept. Also, I believe that the company wants people to associate Abercrombie & Fitch clothing with youth and a sexually promiscuous lifestyle. I believe that is more of a condemnation on the society than on the company because it is successful, and you expect companies to do what works.
Where I was naïve was in not thinking everything through. I thought that I could work for the company without having my personal moral code negatively affected. For the most part, I believe that I was right in that regard. However, my thinking stopped there. I did not realize when I started with the company that working there implies that I approve of the company and its mission, and any success that I would have with the company would support and promote the company and its mission.
Largely because of the reaction of the company to the media attention about the photo marketing- in addition to the posters themselves, the pictures on the fragrance boxes, and some of the t-shirts-, I believe that the levels of commitment of the company to selling a sexually promiscuous lifestyle and to selling clothes are at least in the same ballpark, if that of selling a sexually promiscuous lifestyle is not equal to or greater than that of selling clothes. As I do not agree with the company’s mission of selling clothes by selling a sexually promiscuous lifestyle, I wish neither to approve of nor support the company by continuing my employment.
So why am I opposed to a sexually promiscuous lifestyle? I believe that there is one measurement standard by which my position on sexual promiscuity is unquestionably right. Let us compare three different wedding nights. First: a man and wife who have both been sexually promiscuous. Second: a man and wife who have had sex with each other before their wedding. And third: a man and wife who decided not to be sexually promiscuous and who did not have sex with each other before their marriage. Which couple would have the best wedding night?
The first two couples would have more “experience” than the third, but I do not believe that “experience” is a positive commodity on a wedding night. For the first couple, righteous jealousy over the body of their spouse would lead them to wonder where the “experience” came from. For the second couple, the wedding night would be less special because it would be nothing new. Also, those who would argue that “experience” is a benefit are the same people who would argue that sex with one person for the rest of your life is a dreadful thing. For which of the three couples do you think the “newness” of sex with their spouse would wear off last?
So what about the third couple? The couple in which the newlyweds have each other’s mind, heart, soul, and wedding ring before they have his or her body. I believe that anything worth having is worth waiting for and that waiting for something worth having is better the longer that you wait for it. Our third couple makes up for what they lack in “experience” with a desire to “practice” and “get better.”
I think that our society is suffering the consequences of combating sexual promiscuity and premarital sex with the concept that sex is bad. If sex, in and of itself, is bad, then all who have sexual desires are bad. We were all made with an appetite for sexual pleasure and the consequential sexual desires. Therefore sex, in and of itself, cannot be bad. I believe that sex, in and of itself, is neutral and can be used in either a “bad way” or a “good way.” A “bad way,” as I see it, is any way in which it will be regretted. As I have just argued, I believe that any premarital sex will be regretted- at the very least on the wedding night- and should therefore be filed in the “bad” category. As for me, I have decided against both sexual promiscuity and premarital sex for the joy that lay before me on my wedding night- and on subsequent nights- with my future wife. I have a pretty strong hunch that Abercrombie & Fitch does not feel the same way, and therefore have decided to discontinue employment.
My position on the issues of sexual promiscuity and premarital sex are based on my belief that Jesus Christ conquered death and left behind an empty tomb three days after dying to reconcile me, a guilty sinner, with the perfect, just, loving Creator of the universe, the living God. This conviction has led me to accept the authority of Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible over my life and my decisions. Having accepted these authorities, I am exuberant to learn that they not only provide eternal security and salvation from the eternal fire that we all rightly deserve, but these authorities also provide more joy than living by my own wisdom and convictions ever have or ever could provide. I believe that we will all stand before Jesus on the Day of the Lord, and He will either say, “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your master,” or, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”